Let's start with this: if you are going to rate a stay as "terrible," at least put your money where your mouth is. As in: the experience was so bad, I bailed at 10:15 PM, electing to drive through the night to New Jersey rather than stay another minute. No request for a refund or an upgrade; just get me the heck out of here, and fast.

I booked five days in advance through Amex Platinum travel, the service that pays for itself over the course of a year if you take advantage of the various upgrades and amenities offered by hotels participating in the Amex program. RC Dearborn is on the list. The featured amenity for this hotel is a $100 food and beverage credit during your stay. Generally, you are greeted by the check-in clerk with an "I see you booked through Amex Platinum. Here's a list of what you can expect." Typically that includes complimentary breakfast, late check out (4PM), and a one-level room upgrade where available. At no time during my seven-hour stay did anyone mention my Amex options or amenities.

My check in was cordial, as my clerk handed me the keys to a standard room on the third floor, overlooking a gravel flat roof and a parking lot (ok, the alternative view is a freeway, so perhaps this was actually a grace note.) Getting to the room involved what other posters have referred to as "non-working elevator buttons." I believe this is inaccurate. The buttons work; it's the elevators that are unreliable. One can wait for up to five minutes for an elevator, depending on your route of travel.

Perhaps I should have guessed at what was in store when I saw guys toting cases of cheap beer to their rooms, some of whom were wearing shoes. Their lazier counterparts decorated the lobby. Dude, it's not your living room. Get your feet off the table and stop picking your nose.

The first sound I heard after dropping luggage in my room was what turned out to be the guest next door running bathwater. Loud? I literally checked my own shower to make sure I hadn't been given keys to the wrong room. The TV worked on selected channels. Some of the RC products made it to the bathroom, but a comb and shaving kit were not among them (items I had neglected to pack and I have always found in RC rooms.) The room was cramped, neither dirty nor clean, and (as others have observed), needed a makeover. But for a listed rate of $169/night, I guessed it was going to be the experience one poster referred to, charmingly, as "Ritz Junior."

On a Saturday night, one can anticipate wedding receptions (in this case, two), but that means you have to put extra people on valet. Note to future guests: there is complimentary self-parking adjacent to the hotel that is cheaper and more efficient than valet. Avoid cabs to and from downtown (which is an easy 20 minute drive, provided you understand maps), lest you be enslaved to the whims of drivers and Detroit's pervasive panhandling culture. Comerica Park and Ford Field are easy to find, with plenty of surface parking. And do not rely on the concierge for your map or directions. Like directions to the hotel from its own website, the information is likely to be unhelpful; the local map I was given was simply inaccurate.

I found my way to a ball game downtown. Upon return, knowing I would be leaving early, I found the self-park lot (on the far side of the hotel as you pull in) and attempted to return to my room. At 10:00PM, the parties were in full swing, and it quickly became evident that sleep was frankly not in my future.

15 minutes later (five spent waiting for an elevator), I dropped my keys at the front desk with a check out advisory (not wishing to interrupt the private conversation of the employees at the desk). A head bellman named Marty followed me into the parking lot, earnestly asking if there was anything he could do to alleviate any problems with my stay. It took me another five minutes to shake him off (he was very well intentioned, but persistence has its limits, which is sometimes referred to as stalking.) He told me hoped he could make it up to me on my next stay. Marty, thanks for the effort, but don't hold your breath.

My family and I stayed at the Ritz on August 10th as part of a driving vacation. We chose the hotel because of its nearness to the Henry Ford Museum, and the Club Level option.

The hotel has a very corporate feel, which is not surprising given its close proximity to Ford headquarters. Nevertheless, it could have used a bit more warmth in the decorating and general feel.

As others have said the hotel could use a bit of a facelift. The corridor carpeting was a bit worn. The ice machine on our floor was not working. Little things, but you expect them to get it right at the Ritz.

My family and I did enjoy the Club Level option. We had drinks and appetizers there, as well as breakfast. All in all, I felt it was worth the extra price, and my kids liked it.

The hotel is very close to the Henry Ford Museum, which is a must-see. We also went to a Tigers game, which was a bit of a drive (20-30 minutes) from the hotel.

This is a great hotel in a great location!

I stayed here for 2 nights and was extremely happy with the service and quality of this hotel. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The fitness room is small but the indoor pool area is nice.

This Ritz is located by a big mall and there are several restaurant options close by. It is about $25 for a cab ride to downtown Detroit or the airport.

I would highly recommend staying here!

I called this hotel to make a 3-night reservation, and was told at that time that since my flight would arrive late, that my room would be held for late arrival. The reservation was a relief since my visit coincided with an extremely large convention, and the attendees had caused a shortage of rooms in the area.

I arrived at the hotel at 12:30 am, eager to hit the sack before getting up at 7 to meet some colleagues for what promised to be a long working day. The hotel representative worked on the computer for what felt like an unusually long time, and when I asked if there was an issue, she said that unfortunately, yes, there was a problem. The hotel was oversold and they didn't have a room for me. Uh huh.

On top of that, they apparently just realized that they didn't have a room for me when I showed up, and so had not made any back-up plans. They then disappeared into the back and began calling about a dozen hotels with whom they have partner agreements in situations like this, but due to the convention, all those hotels were sold out as well. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the sofa in the lobby started to look quite good to me.

Finally, they said they had found a room for me at the Red Roof Inn, and they would gladly drive me there and back, and pay for my stay there. Hmph -- ironically, the more cost-effective the alternative motel, the less the impact on the Ritz establishment. As they did not have a Ritz/Red Roof Inn partnership, they asked that I bring my receipt back for reimbursement.

The next morning, I left my RRI receipt with reception upon check-in, and asked for a copy just in case. My room was just fine, and contained a plate of two admittedly gourmet cookies by way of apology. Sorry, not impressed.

Upon check-out, I was given my receipt, checked it, and saw no reimbursement of my RRI stay. I had to ask, "Um, how should I expect to be reimbursed for staying at the Red Roof Inn?" At this point, the manager was called, and asked me if the stay was $69. "Um, you have the original receipt for this. Shouldn't you already have the answer?"

The day before my trip started a Ritz customer service representative emailed me to ask if there was anything she could do to help ensure I had a nice stay. Silly me -- if only I had known that I needed to ask her to make sure that my reservation and the charge to my card actually meant I would have a room! All in all -- not worth it. Try another hotel in the area.